Front Squat

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Set the rack hooks and safety arms to the lifter and use secure collars. Clear the floor and choose a stance that permits stable foot contact.
2. 2Starting position. Stand with the load securely supported, balanced three-point foot contact, knees aligned with the feet, and a braced trunk.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Descend by coordinating hip, knee, and ankle flexion; keep the load over the base of support and the feet fully controlled.
4. 4Bottom position / pause. Reach the same pain-free depth without losing foot pressure, bar/load control, or trunk position. Do not bounce out of an uncontrolled end range.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Push through the support foot or feet and extend the hips and knees together. Finish balanced without forcefully hyperextending the knees or lumbar spine.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Take and hold an appropriate brace through the most demanding portion, then exhale and reset when stable. Heavy bracing should not become prolonged breath-holding across repetitions.
7. 7Valid rep. A rep uses the same stance, depth, load position, and side-specific standard, with no rack contact, bounce, unplanned step, or loss of balance.

Common mistakes

• Unstable foot pressure

  Fix: Keep heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe connected throughout the rep.

• Uncontrolled knee drift

  Fix: Let the knee travel with the toes and reduce load or depth if that alignment cannot be controlled.

• Forcing a universal depth

  Fix: Use the deepest repeatable, pain-free depth that preserves foot and trunk control.

• Hips and chest separating

  Fix: Rise with pelvis and ribcage together rather than shooting the hips up first.

Safety

• Current hip, knee, ankle, or tendon symptoms call for an individually tolerated range and load; pain is not a cue to force alignment or depth.
• For heavy barbell work, use correctly set safeties and/or a competent spotter and collars; do not rely on a spotter to rescue a technically uncontrolled repetition.
• Heavy efforts and prolonged breath-holding can produce large acute blood-pressure responses; people with cardiovascular disease or uncontrolled hypertension need medically appropriate intensity and breathing guidance.
• For adolescents, older beginners, or anyone new to this movement, progress by technical competence and use qualified supervision rather than age-based loading targets or forced maximal attempts.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionGoblet Squat— Reduce strength, balance, or coordination demand while rehearsing the key pattern before returning to Front Squat.
• progressionPaused Front Squat— Increase load, range, instability, or skill demand after Front Squat is repeatable through the planned volume with reserve and no technique drift.
• alternativeHack Squat— Train a similar primary pattern with a different stability, equipment, or joint-loading profile when Front Squat is impractical or poorly tolerated.